Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Plan B were delighted by by a request from our friends up at Castle Stuart to turn around a quick wee PDF design job for them last week and even more so when we got an email in from marketing boss Fraser Cromarty telling us that Castle Stuart Golf Links is now officially rated as the 56th best Golf Course in the World!

The official rankings by the US based GOLF MAGAZINE were released this week on the 'front9' app with Castle Stuart being the highest-ranking debut on the World list.

Following on from its success as host venue to the recently played Barclays Scottish Open, Castle Stuart's reputation continues to spread worldwide. This recent award confirms that Castle Stuart is now one of the very best in the World.

"When we first saw the land here at Balnaglack, the extraordinary setting, the free-draining sandy soils, the varied topography, and the extensive links vegetation, we knew we had the grist of something wonderful. Earning recognition as 56th best course in the world by GOLF MAGAZINE so soon after opening along with hosting such a world-class event as the Barclays Scottish Open is incredibly satisfying. And to be located in the Highlands capital city of Inverness is even better.It is a city of intimate charm and world-class dining.Together with all the attractions of the Highlands, eg fishing, shooting, stalking, the whisky trail, a trip to the Highlands is now even more inviting for golfers than ever before"Mark Parsinen, Managing Partner, Castle Stuart Golf LLP

Also ranked in the Top 100 is Royal Dornoch Golf Course where it again features in the top 20 with a world ranking of 16th place. The Highlands of Scotland continues to grow its reputation as a must visit golfing destination and with two of the world's top 100 courses in close proximity to each other there has never been a better time to take the trip North.

Add to that ongoing work for some great businesses such as Inveran Guest House in Nairn, and the pro shop at Royal Dornoch itself amongst a host of others and the idae of having a Highland office isn't so daft!

Following a wee three or four day trip around Inverness, Moray, Speyside, west Highlands and Argyll (and I can sympathise with the cost of visitor fuel!) I ended up at the wonderfully well located Crianlarich Hotel.

Sitting on the corner of the A85 from The Trossachs and Stirling and the A82 from Loch Lomondside and Glasgow the hotel was simply noticed in passing for too many years due to it being a coach hotel only. It's been in new hands for sometime now and the new GM Andrea provided me with patience and coffee as my last stop on the way back to the office last week.

Andrea is not one of those to whom you have to point out the opportunities of online business to; the recently added Facebook pages has already accrued more than a thousand followers and the websites recent conversion to the Bookassist Booking Engine is already reaping rewards with increased direct sales traffic.

The plans are also underway for the winter season with the printed materials already in place for January offers for locals and visitors alike. The promotion ties in a business card style log in with the booking engine to provide for the "exclusivity" required. By using a Bookassist Promo Code (available to all users of the booking engine) the hotel can promote a very attractive promotional rate without opening it up to the whole world. Took ten minutes to set up and now the hotel's January promotion is a fully integrated on and off line tool which can be used with email marketing and social media.

Great what you can achieve in ten minutes!

Andrea also liked the Facebook side bars we've been creating for our clients so we rattled one of them up for her which will no doubt be on the hotel's Facebook page by the time we publish this article. So next time you're heading up through Crianlarich stop off for a coffee or a bite to eat or book your January Crianlarich offer online!

Click through for further information on adding a Facebook banner to your page. You can also find out more about how your accommodation can benefit from increased direct sales with the award winning Bookassist Booking engine.